


Keeping Up with the Hedgehogs

by stagemanager



Series: Paradox AU [4]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Family, Gen, Paradox AU, Sequel, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29910987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stagemanager/pseuds/stagemanager
Summary: (Sequel toA Problem of Paradoxical Proportions)A week later, reality catches up to them.Help.
Series: Paradox AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799200
Comments: 7
Kudos: 24





	Keeping Up with the Hedgehogs

Even after searching for one that _didn’t_ squeak, Shadow still thinks this cart makes too much noise.

 _At least I don’t have to push it_ , he notes to himself. Tails seems content with his role of ‘cart-pusher’. Despite his genius intellect, the fox could still be amused by something as simple as this. Up ahead, Sonic walks ahead of the cart, Paradox—Shadow is not calling him ‘LD’—clutched tightly in his arms. Paradox is curled in, trying to make himself small in Sonic’s arms. His marigold eyes glisten with both curiosity and fear. It’s the first time he’s been outside of the workshop. Thankfully, few people visit the supermarket at this early hour. It’s quiet. Much easier for a shy, anxious child to endure.

Looks like Sonic _did_ have a brain cell from time to time. Everyone had been confused this morning when Sonic said they had to hurry up and leave. Tails in particular was _especially_ irritated, fighting Sonic the entire time. Silver was puzzled and getting pulled along, while Paradox was…

Paradox, even with his nervousness, was just happy to be with them.

A foreign emotion flickers inside of Shadow. It’s soft and light, yet heavy and cold. Part of it he knows, _remembers._ Shadow crushes it down, narrowing his eyes slightly. “I don’t understand why we all needed to come along,” he states, sneaking a quick glance to his side. Silver is gazing around the store excitedly, completely fascinated by the sights and sounds. The time traveler looks back at him with a hint of hurt— _what_ —on his face.

Another emotion—one he recognizes this time—flickers inside Shadow, and he bites his lip.

Sonic spins on his heels, easily switching to walking backwards. “Come on, we’ve been stuck inside for a week! We need to buy some stuff anyway. What, the _‘Ultimate Life Form’_ can’t handle a little trip to the store?”

A snicker escapes from Tails’s and Silver’s lips before they can stop themselves. At once, Shadow glares at them, making the two hastily cover their mouths.

Shadow huffs, folding his arms. “Fine,” he relents.

His doppelgänger smirks. “Alright!” Sonic cheers, pivoting forward again. “First, we need to get LD some socks, shoes, and gloves. That’s in the kids’ aisle which is…” the speedster pauses, scanning the store. “This way!”

Tails immediately turns the cart in that direction. Shadow rolls his eyes, silently following. He only takes a few steps before realizing something. Eyes widening slightly, he whirls around. A second later, he lets out a sigh.

 _“Silver,”_ he calls. The time traveler is staring at a creative display of cans.

 _“Oh!_ Coming!”

Sometimes, you could forget that the gray hedgehog was an extremely powerful telekinetic who could lift cars with his mind.

Finding clothes that will actually fit Paradox takes a little more time than expected. The child is tiny—and so very _fragile,_ Shadow thinks—that they end up having to look in the _toddlers’_ section. After figuring out the hoglet’s shoe size, they set out to find him some. Paradox stares at the display, eyes sparkling.

“Anything you like, little buddy?” Sonic asks, holding the child up so he can see better.

In the back, Tails crosses his arms, looking away. “Nice to know I’m so easy to replace,” he grumbles under his breath.

Shadow’s eyes narrow imperceptibly. _Hm?_

“Can I have… that one?” Paradox inquires, hesitantly pointing to a pair of red hi-tops with gray soles. A white stripe runs down each shoe before being bisected by a cyan strap of velcro. Oddly enough, the design appears to be a simplified version of the boots that Paradox the fusion wore.

 _Wonder how much of that he remembers,_ Shadow muses. _Or how much of that was him._

Grabbing the pair of shoes, Sonic takes Paradox to a small bench to try them on. The child’s feet don’t even come close to touching the ground, and Shadow feels that foreign emotion flicker again. It flashes a little stronger when Paradox puts the hi-tops on—all by himself—and slides off the bench.

“Those look good!” Silver compliments, watching Paradox hop around.

“They feel big,” the hoglet frowns.

“They’ll fit better when you have socks on,” Sonic assures. “Speaking of which, we need to pick some out.”

“Oh, over here!” Silver jumps in, pointing.

“Cool!” Helping Paradox take his shoes off, Sonic places the shoes in the cart. Carrying the child once again, the blue speedster joins Silver by the racks of socks. Tails leans against the cart, electing not to follow. His two namesakes swish slowly.

It takes Sonic a couple seconds, but he does find some socks that will fit Paradox. Walking back over to Tails, he tosses the pack of socks into the cart.

Shadow eyes the socks—small, so very _small_ —for a moment. “We need more socks,” he states, heading back to the racks.

Sonic tilts his head. “But we’re already getting a pack of two, why do we need more?”

“They're for Paradox, obvious…” Shadow begins before trailing off. He stops and turns to the other hedgehog with wide eyes. “Wait, how many pairs of socks do you own?”

Sonic simply blinks. _“I, uh… Uh…”_

His fumbling speaks volumes. “...I'm getting more socks,” Shadow announces. He raises a hand towards the rack, eyes focused.

Silver stares for a couple seconds, visibly confused. The others do the same. “Are you trying to use psychokinesis?” the time traveler asks.

 _“No!”_ Shadow answers, hastily dropping his arm. The tiniest hint of green colors his muzzle. "Of course not."

While Tails has the intelligence to bite his tongue, Sonic does not. Thankfully, Silver is well versed in breaking up arguments between the two speedsters. Some things never change.

With footwear now taken care of, the group turns their attention to gloves. That venture is a short and uneventful one and so they continue on to the personal care section of the store. The moment they enter this area, a strange sort of assuredness overtakes Silver’s expression. He moves in front of the group, striding towards the section for children. The others follow, a bit of confusion apparent on their faces.

Silver‘s eyes carefully scan the display before settling on a lower shelf. He squats down on the floor, still reading the labels in front of him. An awkward silence settles on the rest of the group. LD shifts a bit in Sonic's arms, head craning to look around. His eyes widen upon seeing a particular product on the shelf.

"Sonny, what's that?" LD points.

Green eyes follow the hoglet's arm. "Oh, those are bath bombs."

"Bath bombs?"

"Yeah, they're these scented balls that dissolve into bubbles and foam when you put them in water. You use them when you're taking a bath. They're supposed to be relaxing."

LD scrutinizes the bath bombs. And with the blunt honesty of a small child, he comments, "They look tasty."

Sonic's ears immediately perk up. "Let's _not_ eat the bath bombs, okay LD?" 

"Okay, Sonny."

Sonic lets out a sigh at that. He gives a weary look before looking up from LD. An ear quirks to the side when he sees Silver placing three bottles in the cart. “What’s all this, Silvs?”

The time traveler looks up. “LD still has his baby quills, which means he needs special products.” He picks up one of the bottles. “This one’s a wash and shampoo…” Silver explains, before setting it down and picking up another. “And this one’s conditioner. The last one’s a detangling spray.”

“Can’t you just get a three-in-one thing? That’d be easier.”

Silver looks offended. “Well, yeah, it might be easier, but it won’t be as good! Three-in-one products tend to be lower quality.”

Green eyes blink. “Huh.”

A rare smirk appears on Shadow’s muzzle. “Your reaction is extremely telling.”

Sonic flushes red. _“No one asked you, Shads!”_ he yells. With a huff, he turns his back on the ebony hedgehog. Though he’s been fairly quiet this entire trip, Tails snickers again. This time, the laughter plays out to its full duration. When it subsides, blue eyes glance over to Silver. A yellow ear quirks to the side.

“Something wrong?” Tails inquires. The time traveler is holding the bottle of shampoo again, staring at the label. Still carrying it, he walks back over to the shelf and picks up a similar-looking bottle.

“I don’t know which one we should get,” Silver begins, returning back to the cart. “Bubblegum-scented or berryblast-scented. Which one do you prefer, LD?” He asks, showing the two bottles to the child.

Paradox leans forward in Sonic’s arms, squinting. “Um… Berryblast!” he quickly points. But the bottle he gestures to is the bubblegum-scented shampoo.

Everyone else blinks. _Paradox… Paradox CAN read,_ Shadow knows. He knows how to write too, though not very well. They’d found out after giving the child some paper to draw on.

The grin on Paradox’s face is so very confident.

Silver breaks the silence. _“Sure!”_ he says. The time traveler places the _berryblast-scented_ shampoo in the cart.

Paradox does not seem to notice the difference.

Huh.

“Okay!” Sonic exclaims, shifting Paradox in his arms slightly. “Let’s keep moving!” With that, the group exits this aisle. As they walk towards the grocery section of the store, Silver gets distracted yet again. This time, it is a display of feather-covered pillows. The light gray hedgehog quickly grabs one of the pillows, stroking the white feathers and looking absolutely captivated.

Sonic smirks playfully as Silver continues to hug the pillow. “Like it?”

Silver jolts a bit, startled. He turns to the blue speedster. _“Uh, um, sorry, I just, it seemed so pretty and soft and I wanted to… I’ll put it back, sorry. We—I—don’t need—”_

“Hey, if it makes you happy, why not?”

“What?”

Sonic’s grin widens. “I’ll buy you the pillow, Silvs.” His green eyes blink, as if realizing something for the first time. Shadow notices it too. The feathers on the pillow are coincidentally a similar shade of gray to Silver. “Huh. _Feathers.”_

The white hedgehog doesn’t seem to hear Sonic’s musings. He’s too busy hugging his pillow, a _disgustingly_ happy expression on his face. The sight makes Sonic laugh.

Between Sonic’s laughter and Silver’s joy, Paradox’s mistake is forgotten. The group heads to the registers to check out. Shadow swears he’s seen the green ferret scanning their items before. It’s probably nothing.

Items paid for, they start for the workshop. Sonic tries to get Silver to carry all of the bags with his psychokinesis, but Shadow quickly puts an end to that conversation.

Ugh. All of this is giving him a headache. Time to go.

* * *

It’s an early morning. The sun is in the middle of the sky, not quite at its peak but not quite at its valley. Birdsong wanders lazily through an open window.

Studying himself in the mirror, Sonic combs his fingers through his quills, smoothing down several stray strands. This is a familiar routine, one he’s done for a long time. But it feels different now. His eyes linger on his reflection, taking in it. He draws a hand through his head quills again. They seem so _short._ He had more than just this, right?

Eyes flick back towards their reflection.

_No, you didn't._

Lowering his hands, Sonic lets out a sigh. It’s going to take a while to get used to seeing this in the mirror again. Opening the bathroom door, he steps out into the hall. It’s the perfect day to go outside, and a morning run sounds wonderful right now. Buckling on his sneakers, he dashes out the front door in a streak of blue. Within moments, an exhilarated cheer echoes across the Mystic Ruins. The deafening boom of a shattered sound barrier follows shortly after.

Today’s run covers a small area. Well, small for someone who regularly runs around the planet. Sonic stays within the Mystic Ruins, running through the familiar fields, jungles, and valleys. As he races down a well-worn route, his thoughts wander back to the workshop. Or more specifically, who is inside the workshop. A smile forms on his face as thoughts wander, contemplating four. Sonic’s ears perk slightly. He swerves to the right, turning towards the more accessible part of the ruins. Within seconds, he arrives at the place. A plume of dust and soil is whipped up as the speedster slams on the brakes.

 _“Hi, Shads!”_ the blue hedgehog greets. His happy salutation is met by an annoyed glare.

“What do you want?”

Sonic snorts, stepping closer to the ebony hedgehog. “Well. good morning to you too! Sorry for trying to be nice…”

Shadow crosses his arms, eyes still narrowed. “You didn’t answer my question.”

The younger of the two hedgehogs sighs. “Aren’t you a ray of sunshine? Well, _to answer your question,_ I just wanted to check on you. You know, _the polite thing to do.”_

Red eyes roll. “Hmph,” Shadow scoffs, turning his back to Sonic.

Silence.

“So…”

No response.

A sneaker taps on the ground.

 _“If you say hi again, I’m going to punch you in the face,”_ Shadow threatens, increasingly irritated.

Sonic quickly throws his hands up. _“Geez, okay then! Someone_ woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.” He sighs again. The breeze tousles fur and quills. “Hey, Shadow?” The blue speedster begins after a moment. “Thanks for coming with us to the store.”

“It wasn’t as if you gave me a choice in the matter,” Shadow replies, back still facing the other hedgehog.

A grin crosses Sonic’s muzzle. _“Really now?_ Well, regardless, I’m still glad you came.”

It’s almost too small to see, but he catches the slight stiffening of Shadow’s quills. Sonic folds his arms behind his head, green eyes drifting across the landscape. “I know things are a little tense right now. Well, _tense_ is an understatement. I know some of that’s my fault and I’m sorry about that. But I hope it’s getting better. I know LD really liked you tagging along.”

Silence falls after Sonic speaks. Shadow’s gaze lingers on his arms, studying black and red fur.

“Don’t overthink it, hedgehog.”

Peach-furred arms lower to the sides. “For sure.”

White clouds float across a blue sky.

“Anyways…” Sonic continues, easily slipping back to his usual cheeriness. “I’m heading back to the house to make some pancakes. So hurry back if you want some. Later, Shads!” With that sudden announcement, the Fastest Thing Alive abruptly spins on his heels and zooms away.

Shadow blinks before simply shaking his head. _“Idiot,”_ he mutters to the now empty air.

Not long after Shadow utters that word, his source of irritation returns to the workshop. Hardly a second after he slips off his shoes, Sonic lets out a grunt as something—or rather, _someone_ —crashes into him.

 _“Oof!”_ A high-pitched voice squeaks. The noise jerks Sonic’s head down. Within moments, the teenager grins, chuckling quietly.

“Hiya, LD!” he greets warmly. “What are you doing up so early? Are the others up yet too?”

The child in question shakes his head, reorienting himself. He blinks twice before looking up at Sonic. His mouth parts in a wide smile, revealing the gap in the center of his top row of teeth.

“Sonny!” he chirps, his tongue poking out a bit on the s sound. “I was looking for Shady but then I remembered you said he likes to take walks in the morning. I didn’t wanna wake Tails and Silvy so I was really quiet and came down the stairs all by myself!”

Sonic’s grin only broadens. “Wow, really? Good job!” He praises, ruffling some of the child’s head quills.

LD blushes, a bubblegum pink spreading on his muzzle. “No, stop!” His plea only makes Sonic increase his efforts. In a single swoop, the speedster scoops the hoglet into his arms. LD giggles, a sweet sound that makes Sonic feel lighter. Drawing his hand back, he gives his baby brother a respite from the merciless head rubs. The pink lightens a shade from LD’s cheeks as the child starts to regain his composure. “How was your run?” he asks, trying to fix his messy quills.

Sonic moves the child slightly, getting a better grip. He holds LD securely against his chest before walking into their small but adequate kitchen. “It was good! Weather was really nice. It was a good day for a run.”

“Do you think I could come with you one day?”

“Sure! You’ll have to hold on tight though.” Stopping, Sonic sets LD down on the ground next to him. The hoglet shuffles in place, his new socks sliding on the floor. Sonic peers down at him. Huh, his socks don’t match. One is red and white and the other is blue and white. Filling the observation away, he remembers his reason for coming into the kitchen. “Wanna help me make pancakes?”

Immediately, LD’s eyes twinkle like stars. “Yeah!” he nods excitedly. Sonic can’t help but chuckle again.

“Alright,” the older blue hedgehog says, trying to rein in the child’s enthusiasm. With one hand, he flicks the cabinet open and grabs a large mixing bowl. His other hand pulls open a drawer and fishes out a wire whisk. “We need flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, milk, an egg, and… _Oh!_ Melted butter.”

“I can get those!” LD declares, running to the refrigerator. With a loud grunt, the child yanks the door open with both hands before taking a peek inside. His yellow eyes dart around the shelves and drawers before focusing on a carton of eggs and a stick of butter. Both of which… are on the top shelves.

The hoglet’s muzzle scrunches up into a pout. Why is everything so high up? He can’t reach them. Unless… But he hasn’t used them before in this body…

Eyes narrow on the carton.

_Sonny needs an egg._

Raising his arms up, LD focuses on the carton. He reaches inside of himself, searching for the pool of chaos inside him. It was a vast ocean and a deep well—an _abyss_ of unknown depth and size—that was both terrifying and yet comforting at the same time. Something that was both a mystery and a truth that he understood intimately. It didn’t really make sense. But for LD, it was all he’d ever known. He was created from chaos, after all.

Scooping up a drop of chaos, LD pushes the energy out through his fingers. His hands glow white as an identical glow envelops the egg carton. A smile tugs at the hoglet’s lips as he wills the carton to move. But the aura fizzles, flickering weakly. _Please move,_ he pleads. Sticking his tongue out, LD pushes more chaos out. The air thickens for a moment, as if heavy with static. And then the egg carton abruptly _shoots_ out of the fridge. LD yelps in terror as a blue streak speeds past him.

 _“Whoa!”_ Sonic exclaims, snatching the carton out of the air. After checking that all the eggs are safe, he looks down at his brother. The hoglet stands there with a blank expression. “You okay there, LD?”

The smile is gone from the child’s face, his eyes switching between the teenager and the egg carton. _“Oh…”_ he whispers. _“Oh, I-I…”_

Sonic picks up the stick of butter before closing the refrigerator. “Hey, it’s okay. It was an accident. Don’t worry about it.”

LD yanks at the two quills framing his face. _“But I… I… I messed up! I’m not supposed to mess up! I useta be good at this and now I can’t…!”_ His words are swallowed up by a sharp inhale, his entire body shuddering. _“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”_ he apologizes, curling into himself. His ears are pressed flat against his head.

It takes less than a millisecond for alarm bells to go off in Sonic’s mind. Immediately, he puts the eggs and butter on the counter, and kneels down. “Hey, hey, hey, look at me, LD. _LD.”_

The child doesn’t hear, his eyelids half-shut in anguish. _“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, please don’t be mad at me, I don’t wanna go…"_

 _“Paradox!”_ Sonic calls out, louder this time.

At the mention of his real name, LD’s attention snaps up. His normally marigold irises glow red, yellow, and blue, and Sonic's pulse skyrockets.

“Can you do something for me, Paradox?” the older hedgehog asks quickly. But he keeps his voice steady and quiet. Calming.

LD blinks, water pooling in his eyes. It looks as though he’s fighting not to let the tears fall.

Sonic tries not to think about what that means. “LD. _Can you?”_ he reiterates.

The hoglet shakes his head.

“Can you at least try for me, please? It’s easy. I’ll do it with you, so you don’t have to do it alone.”

This time, LD nods, a stiff and small movement.

“Okay. We’re gonna breath in for seven seconds, and then out for eleven. Alright? Ready? Inhale and…”

The next eighteen seconds feel like an eternity to Sonic. It feels too long, too slow, but he can’t speed through this. And hope it will work.

_One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven._

Sonic smiles softly. “Better?” he inquires softly.

With blotchy but _marigold_ eyes, LD nods.

 _“Good.”_ Reaching across, Sonic takes LD’s hand before squeezing it gently. He looks his baby brother directly in the eye. “I want you to know that this is _okay._ You just got this body and it’s completely understandable if you can’t use it well yet. Messing up is part of the process. But that’s how you learn and get better. It is _okay._ So you don’t need to worry about this. All of us are here to support and help you."

“Even Tails?”

Something hardens inside Sonic’s chest. “Yes. Even him. With a little practice, you’ll definitely get the hang of your powers. _Alright?”_

LD sniffles. _“...Alright.”_

 _“Alright.”_ Sonic squeezes his little brother’s hand again. LD squeezes back, tiny gloved fingers clinging as tight as possible. _Don’t let go._ At once, a peach-furred arm pulls the child close. _I won’t._

The two hedgehogs sit quietly for several moments. LD rests his head against Sonic’s chest, listening to the teenager’s steady heartbeat and breathing. He presses into the peach and blue fur, craving as much contact as possible. Eventually, the silence is broken by a low rumble coming from LD’s stomach.

Sonic smirks as LD flushes pink. “Someone’s hungry,” he comments. LD’s blush darkens a bit, his ears drooping. His brother chuckles. “Why don’t pick up with those pancakes we were making? Okay? And remember, you don’t have to get it perfect.”

LD stares before nodding. At that, Sonic sets the child down and stands up. Picking up a chair from the kitchen table, he places it by the counter by the eggs and butter. “Alright. We need… flour. That’s in that bottom cabinet over there. Can you get that for me, kiddo?”

“Okay.”

It’s a gradual process, but slowly, LD returns to his normal cheeriness. Helping his big brother make pancakes is a fun activity that takes the child’s mind off his panic from earlier. He’s thrilled when Sonic lets him mix the ingredients together, and even spoon some batter into the pan. With the last of the pancakes cooking, Sonic asks LD if he wants to run up and wake the others. The little hoglet is all too happy to oblige, his tiny feet pattering on the stairs. A couple minutes later, a groggy Silver and Tails stumble into the kitchen.

“Good morning,” Silver yawns, pulling a chair out and sitting down at the kitchen table. While his quills were fairly tamed—as tamed as they could be with his usual style—the white fur on his chest and neck was disheveled, causing the telekinetic hedgehog to appear fluffier than usual.

Sonic sets the plate of pancakes down on the counter. “Morning, _Feathers,”_ he greets, smirking at Silver. The time traveler responds with a tired look. Sonic turns to the other person walking in. “Hey, Tails!”

The two-tailed fox mutters back a greeting as he walks over to the coffee maker. His ears droop when he sees there isn’t a pot brewing. Sighing, he sets to work on making one.

LD observes Tails for several moments before glancing back at Sonic. “Where’s Shady?” he asks.

“On his morning walk,” Sonic replies. “Give him a moment, he’s not as fast as me.” he teases, drawing an eye roll from Tails. Smirking, the speedster steps over to the table. “Silvs, can you take your arms off the table?”

Silver blinks. “Wait, why?”

Tails sighs from across the kitchen. “Just do it.”

Confused, Silver complies with the instruction. The moment he leans back from the table, blue light and a gust of wind fill the kitchen. In the blink of an eye, the small table is fully furnished with plates and utensils. There’s a bottle of syrup and a container of butter on the table as well.

The time traveler gapes. _“Wha? How?”_

Sonic suddenly appears in a chair with the platter of pancakes, surprising the younger teenager. “Fastest Thing Alive, remember? Besides, isn’t it called break _fast?”_ He smirks. In the background, Tails groans. Sonic forges on undeterred. “Here, get ‘em while they’re hot!" he exclaims, presenting the plate. "Do you want sugar on your pancakes too?”

Silver blinks. “Um, sure?” he responds, still in shock.

“I can get it!” LD jumps in, scurrying back behind the counter. Sonic and Silver’s eyes widen a degree before the former of the two shakes his head. The two teens look up when a noise reaches their ears. Shadow steps through the front door, a bored expression on his face.

“Hey, Shads!” Sonic greets, chipper as usual. Shadow simply ignores him.

“Shady?” LD chirps, popping up from behind the counter. When his eyes land on red and black quills, his face quickly lights up. _“Shady!”_ the hoglet squeals, hurrying back to the table. “How are you? Did you have a nice walk?”

Shadow folds his arms. “It was fine.” His blunt tone makes LD’s face lose some of its brightness.

“That’s nice,” LD replies, breaking eye contact. His gaze drifts for a moment before the recollection that he’s holding something comes back to him. At once, the child lifts his arms up. “Here you go, Silvy!” LD declares, offering the container to the light-gray hedgehog.

The older hedgehogs blink. “LD…” Silver begins, his expression somewhere between confusion and reluctance. “Thank you, but that’s…” he trails off, not wanting to hurt the child’s feelings.

Sonic steps in. “I don’t think he wants salt on his pancakes, little buddy.”

It’s LD’s turn to look puzzled. _“‘Salt’?_ This is _sugar.”_ He glances at the container before pointing at its label. “See?”

Sonic and Silver share a look. “LD, that says _salt.”_

LD’s muzzle scrunches up. “No, it doesn’t!” he vehemently responds. “It’s _sugar!”_

“What’s going on?” Tails interjects, drawn to the table by the noise. LD turns around to look at him.

“Is this salt or sugar?” the hoglet questions, holding the container up.

Tails blinks. “That’s _salt,”_ he answers.

LD looks so very lost. But there is still one more person to ask.

 _“Shady!”_ the hoglet cries. “Shady, _please,_ what does this say?”

Shadow stares at the container. Finally, with his usual tact and poise, he speaks.

_“Salt.”_

LD lets out a panicked squeak. “I don’t… I don’t understand,” he says, ears folding down. “Am I not reading it right?”

Sonic studies his bewildered baby brother. This is the second time LD’s confused words on a label. The last time, it was with two bottles of shampoo. Though to be fair, the text was really small and easily…

_Wait…_

In a flash, Sonic dashes upstairs to grab a pencil and a piece of paper. Upon returning to the kitchen, he scribbles the word ‘SALT’ in large letters before showing it to LD at a distance. “What’s this say?” he asks.

LD gazes up. _“Salt,”_ he pouts, uttering the word with such distaste. “Why?”

“That shows reading _isn’t_ the issue here.” Sonic explains. “It’s _seeing._ I think you’re farsighted, LD.”

 _“‘Far… sighted’?”_ LD parrots, tilting his head.

Sonic nods. “It means you can see things far away just fine, but things up close are blurry. It’s not a big deal, all you gotta do is get some glasses or contacts. Heck, we can even go after breakfast. That okay?”

At that, LD fiddles with his side quills. “Um… okay.”

A smile spreads on Sonic’s muzzle. “Great! Now who wants pancakes?”

“Or… we could _not_ do that,” Tails unexpectedly states. All eyes land on him. The fox’s namesakes twitch under the collective stares. “Um…” he fumbles, warmth gathering in his snout. “What I meant was…” Hands tighten around a coffee cup. “I could make Paradox… some glasses?”

Sonic’s response is immediate. “Tails, that’d be great! You’re awesome!” His smile is as bright as the sun. “Alright! That’s the plan then. Now let’s hurry up and eat while these pancakes are still warm!” With that, he returns his attention back to the food, swapping the container of salt for the proper topping. Focused on his task he doesn’t catch the expression on Tails’s face.

LD watches.

* * *

LD's memories are hazy.

Not _all_ of them, but many of them are. In his memories, places and people in his mind are made of dots. Points of light. Some things have a lot of light—like that flower crown—while others are darker. Lots of dots are missing.

Tails’s lab is like that. He… _They_ probably came down here Before. He can’t really remember anything about this place. Short, blue legs swing off the edge of a chair as LD’s eyes dart around the room. Tools and machine parts are strewn about the space in a scheme only comprehensible to one person. A cold cup of coffee sits next to a half-eaten cookie on a work table. Most of the group is gathered by this table. Only Shadow is separated, the ebony hedgehog leaning against the wall with his arms folded. LD swallows, hands gripping the chair. Instinctively, he searches for Them. Immediately, his marigold eyes connect with Silver’s. The time traveler blanks for a split second before managing a grin.

LD smiles weakly.

 _“Okay!”_ A voice exclaims. All eyes snap towards it.

Tails rolls back from his work table. “Here we go. One pair of eyeglasses.”

Silver marvels. “You finished them already?” he gapes. “Wow…”

Pink dusts Tails’s snout. “It was nothing. They’re just a pair of glasses.”

“But it’s still impressive,” Silver counters. “You took some of LD’s measurements, sketched out a rough plan, and then built it. It’s really cool!”

Tails blushes even more. “Thanks,” he smiles, before swiveling in his chair. His blue eyes appear to dim a bit as he presents the eyeglasses to LD. “If they feel too tight or too loose, let me know and I’ll adjust them,” he explains to the hoglet.

Small blue ears fold slightly. LD studies the glasses, then Tails, then the other hedgehogs, and then finally back to Tails again. “Can… Can I touch them?” the child inquires.

Tails is caught off-guard. “What?” he blinks.

LD hastily backpedals. _“It’s okay if you don’t want me to, you worked really hard and I don’t wanna mess them up.”_ He curls inward, ears folding down further. _“They’re nice and I don’t wanna—I’m sorry—I—”_

_“Paradox.”_

A head snaps up to look. Marigold eyes widen.

Tails looks back at him with an unfamiliar expression. Soft and hopeful. LD has never seen it before. Or perhaps he has, back when 'Paradox' was just easier to say. Back when there were only three. Never him. Never at _me._

_Why?_

Just as suddenly as it appears, the expression is gone.

 _“Here,”_ Tails offers, presenting the glasses again. “Take it. You won’t mess them up.”

_“But—”_

The fox presses the glasses into LD’s hands. Two sets of fingers touch. “They’re for _you,”_ he asserts.

Marigold eyes stare. First at Tails, then the glasses. Sonic. Silver. Shadow. Back to Tails. And then, the glasses again. With trembling fingers, LD delicately plucks the eyeglasses from Tails’s hands. Staring. Watching. He’s used to doing that.

LD doesn’t know how to feel about the expression on Tails’s face.

“Let me help you with that,” Sonic says gently. Carefully, he takes the object from LD’s grasp. Brushing aside LD’s side quills, he puts the eyeglasses on the child. “How’s that?” Sonic inquires.

“Good…” LD comments. He blinks repeatedly, tilting his head and shifting a bit. _“Wow…”_ the hoglet breathes out as Silver leans in closer. For the first time, marigold eyes focus, _truly_ focus, on Silver’s face. The child gasps. “Silvy! You have little dots on your face!”

The white hedgehog looks surprised. “Dots?”

“They’re called _freckles,_ Paradox.” A new speaker jumps in. Shadow looks at the rest of the group with a detached expression.

Green eyes blink. “Wait, Silver has _freckles?”_ Sonic questions, surprised. “Hey, wait a second… LD, your glasses must be working!”

“They are?” LD blinks.

“Yeah!” the older blue hedgehog replies. In a flash, he races to the kitchen, grabs the container of salt, and comes back to the lab. “Here, read this!”

Marigold eyes narrow before widening. “Salt! It says salt!”

“You got it, kiddo!”

At once, a massive grin spreads across LD’s muzzle as he giggles. “They work! They work!” Before anyone can react, he jumps towards Tails and throws his arms around the fox. _“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”_ LD gushes, pressing into his face into Tails’s chest. Right against the kit’s heart.

His _rapidly_ beating heart.

Yellow arms hang stiffly by a rigid torso. Fur bristled and eyes like pinpoints. Unmoving.

Immediately, LD jerks away. _“Ohmigosh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”_ he hastily apologizes, curling into himself. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t—”

“It’s _okay,”_ Tails interjects. He pauses, as if in thought. Searching. For an answer? “I’m glad you like them.”

LD swallows. His nose twitches. Four sets of eyes watch him. He’s not used to being watched. Another swallow. And then, from behind glass lenses, one pair of eyes meet another.

 _“Thank you so much,”_ LD says again, quieter this time. His grin is much shyer this time.

A pause. Anticipation.

Finally, a smile crosses Tails’s face. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

 _“You’re welcome,”_ he responds. The words get lost in the air.

And just like that, LD’s grin falters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to part 4 of the Paradox AU! As you might guess, this fic has multiple chapters; however, they will not be released on a schedule. There will definitely be a hiatus after this chapter. Best case scenario, don't expect an update until May. Apologies for the wait, but real life is keeping us busy.
> 
> Fun fact: this chapter is a reworking of the original ending to chapter 10 of _A Problem of Paradoxical Proportions _. There are several references in this chapter. See if you can find them!__
> 
> The drawing in this chapter was done by SmallPwbbles!  
>    
> A big hello to the Pocket Hogs! See you later!


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